1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to needle transporting apparatus and, more particularly, to needle transporting apparatus which positions surgical needles for a removable holding apparatus, and includes a holding apparatus calibrating device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surgical needle manufacture is a precise and time consuming procedure, particularly where individual needles are formed one at a time. Conventional surgical needle manufacturing typically begins with the step of cutting round wire stock to a predetermined length. A working end of the stock is then tapered to provide a cutting edge while the opposite end may be manipulated or worked to attain a flattened or other predetermined shape. Later, typically after almost all of the needle working is completed, the stock is cut to its final length and then prepared for suture attachment. The needle may then be subjected to processing such as grinding, and/or polishing a cutting edge, as well as hardening.
Conventional needle processing is, in large part, a manual operation. The needles are typically transported to different stations for each stage of the processing procedure. Transporting needles, for example, typically may include manually grasping needles using a hand held device. The grip on the needles and the positioning of the needles is visually evaluated and/or confirmed.
The needles are then manually transported to a processing station, such as, a needle station for grinding a cutting edge on a needle. Securely grasping and positioning needles can be critical when the needles are subjected to such processing. It is therefore desirable for the needles to be in a predetermined position for processing and for the needles to remain stationary while processing is occurring. Inaccurate positioning or movement of the needle can compromise accuracy of needle processing procedures and the quality of the refined needles.
More specifically, the needle(s) may be held by a pliers-like device or a chuck which grips the opposite end of the needle from the working end. Usually, no more than two needles can be held in the device at one time for processing the needle(s). The pliers-like device or chuck may be used, for example, to manually engage the needle working end with a rotating abrasive belt to fashion a desired cutting edge.
One disadvantage to conventional needle transporting devices is that only one or two needles at a time can be positioned for processing using a chuck. Further, positioning needles for processing at a work station can be irregular when relying on visual monitoring. Additionally, manually holding needles for processing can result in undesirable movement of the needles. Needle movement may result in inconsistent and unwanted needle refinement. Further, manually positioning needles for processing can be inefficient. Finally, substantially no automation of needle transporting steps is provided in previous devices.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a needle transporting device which addresses these shortcomings in the art by having the capacity to transporting a multiplicity of needles simultaneously. It would also be desirable to provide a needle transporting device which facilitates ease of operation and is efficient. It would also be desirable to provide a needle transporting device capable of grasping and holding needles in a predetermined manner without the necessity of visual monitoring. It would further be desirable to provide a needle transporting device which can selectively rotate needles held in a predetermined manner. It would also be desirable to provide a needle transporting device which discourages unwanted irregularities to the cutting edge of a needle. It would further be desirable to provide a needle processing device which can be substantially automated in an efficient manner.